1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to agricultural equipment and, more particularly, to an apparatus that simultaneously clears residue and loosens soil so that seed and fertilizer can be placed therein in such a manner that consistent and optimum growing conditions can be established for the seed.
2. Background Art
There are many planting techniques currently practiced by farmers. Under a conventional process, planting of a field is carried out in steps. First, the entire field is worked to break up the soil, break loose the residue from the preceding year""s crops, and break down and work the residue into the tilled soil. The planting rows in the prior year are eliminated so that the entire field has a substantially homogenous soil texture.
This conventional technique has numerous drawbacks. First of all, this technique requires the performance of multiple steps to effect planting of the field. The field is first cultivated during one or more passes of a cultivator over the field. A separate planter attachment is then utilized to deposit seed and spray fertilizer in an entirely separate operation. To carry out the different operations, the user is required to connect and disconnect equipment to and from towing vehicle.
A further problem with this conventional technique is that the residue, such as corn stalks, may not be effectively pulverized, even though several passes are made over the field with the cultivator unit. The result is that the residue may jam up in the planter unit and/or block the placement of the seed and spraying of fertilizer.
A further problem with this conventional technique is that cultivation of the entire field increases soil erosion from both rain and wind. Not only is this undesirable from the standpoint of loosing fertile soil, but of late the federal government has imposed restrictions on erosion by requiring that a certain amount of ground cover remain in place at all times in the field.
Certain of these problems led to the development of residue clearing devices which facilitate the planting of seed without prior cultivation. The John Deere Company, for one, has been active in the development of such residue clearing devices. One such structure currently offered by John Deere has a cooperating pair of rotary wheels. The wheels are constructed from flat steel plate material and have a solid central body with radially projecting teeth spaced equidistantly about the periphery of the body. A highly successful wheel design is commercially available through the assignee herein under the trademark TRASHWHEEL(trademark). Each wheel pair is mounted on a planter frame so that the teeth on the wheel pair are in mesh, with the wheels toed in at their bottoms and diverging away from each other in a trailing direction. The angular relationship of the wheels results in their being automatically rotated as they engage with and are dragged through soil: in operation.
The wheels are oriented so that they resituate residue in the planting row upstream of a xe2x80x9cV-openerxe2x80x9d, which defines an open seed slot. The frame that carries the wheels also carries a supply of fertilizer and/or seed, with the seed being deposited in the open slot as the frame is advanced. Once the seed is placed, a downstream pair of closing wheels redeposits soil in the slot created by the V-opener.
Heretofore, the residue clearing wheels have been operated at a depth so as not to penetrate as deeply as the seed slot. Consequently, the V-opener operates on primarily unloosened soil. In moist soil, the V-openers tend to create the slot primarily by compaction of the soil against the walls bounding the slot. When the closing wheels replace soil in the seed slot, much of the soil remains in a compacted state at the walls. The result is that less loose soil than is desirable is placed back in the slot.
As a consequence of this, the seed may not be fully covered or covered with only a thin layer of soil. Alternatively, even if the seed is initially covered with soil by the closing wheels, the soil, upon drying out, tends to develop cracks through which the seed is directly exposed to the elements. The seed may be destroyed by, for example, direct exposure to the sun. Alternatively, if fertilizers are subsequently placed on the soil, the fertilizer may be applied in substantial quantities directly upon the seed, with adverse results.
Heretofore, since there has been no practical solution to the above problem, those in the art have merely contended with this problem. The result of this is that crop quality and quantity are often significantly compromised. This is particularly a problem in today""s environment in which it is imperative that yield be maximized for farmland.
The present invention is specifically directed to overcoming the above-enumerated problems in a novel and simple manner.
According to the invention, an apparatus is provided for preparing soil for the placement therein of at least one of seed and fertilizer. A frame is provided with there being first structure on the frame for penetrating the soil to create an opening for at least one of seed and fertilizer as the frame is advanced in a travel direction. A second structure is provided on the frame at least partially downstream of the first structure for at least one of a) stripping soil clods from the first structure and b) loosening soil downstream of the first structure.
With this arrangement, a loosened bed of soil, with a relatively uniform consistency, can be defined for receipt of at least one of the seed and fertilizer.
In one form, the first structure is a coulter, which may be in the form of a wheel. A preferred form of wheel is one of a 13-wave, 8-wave and a rippled construction wheel.
Similarly, the second structure can be in the form of a wheel and, is preferably in the form of a cooperating pair of second and third wheels, with the first wheel rotatable about a horizontally extending axis and the second and third wheels rotatable about axes that are transverse to each other and the first wheel axis.
In one form, at least one of the second and third wheels traces a paths bounded by a plane that intersects the first wheel along the line of the travel direction of the frame.
In one form, the frame has a main part and a subpart, with the subpart being selectively adjustable in a vertical direction relative to the main frame part so that the vertical position of the second and third wheels relative to the first wheel can be changed. Similarly, the first wheel can be mounted to the frame for vertical movement relative thereto. Consequently, the vertical positions of the first, second and third wheels on the frame can be selected by the user, with the second and third wheels being movable vertically in turn relative to the first wheel.
In one form, the second and third wheels are arranged so that the planes of rotation thereof cooperatively define a xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d shape opening away from the travel direction. By placing the second and third wheels in straddling relationship to the first wheel, the second and third wheels will pick clean clods of soil that may be adhered to the first wheel and break up soil clods that may be thrown by the coulter wheel in operation.
The invention further contemplates the above structure in combination with a fourth structure on the frame for continuously defining an open slot in soil loosened by the first and second structures as the frame advances in a travel direction.
In one form, the first and second structures penetrate soil to a depth approximately equal to the depth of a slot in soil defined by the fourth structure. This depth can be slightly less than, equal to, or slightly greater than the depth of the seed slot.
The invention further contemplates the combination of the above structure with a fifth structure on the frame for continuously delivering at least one of seed and fertilizer to soil and a sixth structure for continuously replacing soil in a slot defined by the fifth structure as the frame is advanced in a travel direction.
The invention still further contemplates an apparatus for preparing soil for the placement therein of at least one of seed and fertilizer, which apparatus has a frame, first structure on the frame for continuously parting the soil in an intended line of introduction of at least one of seed and fertilizer, and second structure on the frame for loosening soil adjacent to the intended line of introduction of at least one of seed and fertilizer.
The invention further contemplates an apparatus for preparing soil, as described above, including a frame with first and second cooperating, toothed wheels mounted to the frame so that the first and second toothed wheels rotate in first and second vertically extending planes about first and second transverse axes to loosen soil. Structure is provided for supporting the frame at a predetermined height relative to subjacent soil supporting the flame. Structure is additionally provided on the frame for continuously defining an open slot in, or in the vicinity of, soil loosened by the first and second wheels as the frame is advanced in a travel direction. The frame supporting structure maintains the frame at a predetermined height so that the slot defining structure defines a slot having a first depth. At least one of the first and second wheels penetrates soil to a depth at least equal to approximately the first depth.
Preferably, both the first and second wheels penetrate soil to at least the first depth.
The invention also contemplates a method of preparing soil for placement of at least one of seed and fertilizer therein, which method includes the steps of: continuously cutting the soil in an intended line for the placement of at least one of seed and fertilizer; continuously loosening the soil on opposite sides of the intended seed line; and continuously defining an open slot for the placement of at least one of seed and fertilizer in, or in the vicinity of, the loosened soil.